Extended depth of focus intraocular lenses and associated methods

Abstract

An intraocular lens has a monofocal lens body that defines a focal length and is configured to add more higher order aberration (HOA) to an eye than a spherical IOL with the same focal length. The lens body defines an optical center, an outer edge, a first region that extends from the optical center to a radius between the outer edge and the optical center, and a second region located radially outward of the first region. The second region is configured to reduce the longitudinal HOA that would otherwise occur in low light conditions. The lens body may be configured to create a higher order aberration to normalized radial distance ratio (HOA-NRD ratio) profile that increases in slope as NRD increases within at least a portion of the first region and does not increase in slope as NRD increases within at least a portion of the second region. The HOA may be a spherical aberration, trefoil or coma.

1 . An intraocular lens, comprising:
 a monofocal lens body that defines a focal length and is configured to add more higher order aberration (HOA) to an eye than a spherical IOL with the same focal length.   
     
     
         2 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the lens body defines an optical center, an outer edge, a first region that extends from the optical center to a radius between the outer edge and the optical center, and a second region located radially outward of the first region; and   the second region is configured to reduce the longitudinal HOA that would otherwise occur in low light conditions within an optical system defined by the lens body and the eye.   
     
     
         3 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the lens body is configured to create, within the optical system, a higher order aberration to normalized radial distance ratio (HOA-NRD ratio) profile that increases in slope as NRD increases within at least a portion of the first region and does not increase in slope as NRD increases within at least a portion of the second region. 
     
     
         4 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein HOA-NRD profile increases in slope as NRD increases within the entire first region. 
     
     
         5 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein HOA-NRD profile decreases in slope as NRD increases within at least the substantial majority of the second region. 
     
     
         6 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first and second regions are separated by an HOA-NRD profile inflection point. 
     
     
         7 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 1 , where the HOA is selected from the group consisting of spherical aberration, trefoil and coma. 
     
     
         8 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 1 , where the HOA is spherical aberration. 
     
     
         9 . The intraocular lens as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lens body comprises a 20 D monofocal aspheric lens body that adds 0.4 micrometer of spherical aberration to the eye at 6 mm entrance pupil and adds 0.1 micrometer of spherical aberration to the eye at 4 mm entrance pupil. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising the step of:
 adding a higher order aberration (ROA) to an eye by adding a monofocal optical device to the eye to improve depth of focus in the eye.   
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the ROA is selected from the group consisting of spherical, trefoil and coma. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the monofocal optical device comprises a monofocal aspheric IOL that adds spherical aberration to the eye. 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the monofocal aspheric IOL is a 20 D monofocal aspheric IOL that adds 0.4 micrometer of spherical aberration to the eye at 6 mm entrance pupil and adds 0.1 micrometer of spherical aberration to the eye at 4 mm entrance pupil. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein
 the monofocal optical device defines an optical center, an outer edge, a first region that extends from the optical center to a radius between the outer edge and the optical center, and a second region located radially outward of the first region; and the second region is configured to reduce the longitudinal ROA that will occur in low light conditions within an optical system defined by the monofocal optical device and the eye.   
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein
 the monofocal optical device comprises a monofocal aspheric IOL;   the ROA comprises spherical aberration; and   the longitudinal ROA comprises longitudinal spherical aberration.   
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the monofocal optical device is configured to create, within the optical system, a higher order aberration to normalized radial distance ratio (ROA-NRD ratio) profile that increases in slope as NRD increases within at least a portion of the first region and does not increase in slope as NRD increases within at least a portion of the second region. 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein
 the monofocal optical device comprises a monofocal aspheric IOL; and   the HOA comprises spherical aberration.   
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein HOA-NRD profile increases in slope as NRD increases within the entire first region. 
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein HOA-NRD profile decreases in slope as NRD increases within at least the substantial majority of the second region. 
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the first and second regions are separated by an HOA-NRD profile inflection point.